Euronews

Kurdish forces battling to save Kobani from the advance of Islamic State militants
have called on the US-led coaliton to escalate airstrikes on ISIL positions.

Images posted online on Friday showed the insurgents pushing further into the Syrian town bordering Turkey.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the situation remains dangerous.

“We are doing what we can do through our airstrikes to help drive back ISIL,” he said. “In fact, there has been some progress made in that area. But it is a very difficult problem. And I would once again re-state, which I have said and which President Obama has said, the effort to degrade and eventually destroy ISIL is a long-term effort.”

US military teams are scheduled to hold talks with Ankara in the coming week.

The Islamist fighters have been able to send reinforcements, while Kurdish forces have not, and a monitoring group claims that they face certain defeat unless Turkey opens its borders to let weapons through.